Who will have to go in order for Bradford to stay with Eagles?

It is likely to be very expensive for the Eagles to bring back quarterback Sam Bradford in 2016. (Rich Schultz / Getty Images)

The first step toward keeping quarterback Sam Bradford could involve something radical for the Philadelphia Eagles and new coach Doug Pederson.

Maybe they need to hire one of those "de-programmers." You know, the ones who pull up to members of religious cults on a quiet street, pull them into some big white van and "convince" them over time that turning their lives over to the Rev. Sun Myung Moon (or whoever) might not be the best idea.

Advertisement

Such an intervention likely will be needed to make Bradford realize that his agent, Tom Condon, might be a little too ambitious in his vision of Bradford's next contract, which the Eagles, on the surface, probably won't be able to afford even if they have to pay fair market value.

But seriously, they have former coach Chip Kelly and all the money he guaranteed to players like DeMarco Murray and Byron Maxwell to thank for all this.

In the 12 months former general manager Howie Roseman did not have control over cap management, which is his biggest (and some say only) strength, Kelly did so much damage to the model that a reboot might be necessary for the most important position in any professional sport.

From the sound of things at Tuesday's news conference introducing Pederson, it sure appears the Eagles would like to have Bradford, whose contract expires this offseason, back.

On the other hand, it sure appears they also are in no position to give him the same amount of cash he could get elsewhere. And just to bring him back for one season with a "franchise" tag, they would have to pay an estimated $23 million, which is something that would put them well over the 2016 cap even without figuring on any of the draft picks and assorted other players they must add to their 90-man roster.

Of course, the salary cap space cleared by their deletions would not be 100 percent of the above totals due to proratings and various clauses. But it would be significant nevertheless — in the neighborhood of $19 million.

Roseman also clearly is creative enough to work out a long-term deal with defensive lineman Fletcher Cox that could increase his long-term security while reducing the cap figure from $7.8 million to, say, $5 million in 2016. And while he's at it, right tackle Lane Johnson's contract is eligible for renegotiation now. He will count more than $6 million against the cap in 2016, the way it stands now.

"Those are all decisions for another day," Roseman said. "Coach just came in here and he's got a lot on his plate and obviously he's a quarterback expert. He played the position, he coached the position, he's had great success there, so I think that's a question for another day."

Advertisement

Pederson tried to be careful about a subject in which anything you say can and will be used against you. But he slipped, and his words already have been copied and pasted by Condon into whatever materials he will need for any kind of negotiation with the Eagles.

"I think Sam's a quality quarterback, I think he's a top-notch quarterback," Pederson said. "Look what he did the last half of the season and the numbers that he was able to put up. I feel like he's an individual, he's a quarterback that would fit perfectly into a system that I'm going to bring. And so, you know, as we evaluate, as I evaluate that position, those decisions will be made as we go."

Added Lurie: "I think, really, this is the time to leave that to the evaluation process. We have a new head coach who understands the quarterback position a lot more than I do. I think all the input of someone who really is now in charge of our football team as head coach will have a very large influence over that.

Any commitment to a quarterback is a risk, especially one with Bradford's injury history. But that's the recommendation here. They have someone who's proved he can win and play at a high level for a mediocre team, setting a franchise record for completion percentage in the same year his receivers led the NFL in drops.

Looking ahead, it's doubtful Pederson will be able to succeed here if the Eagles go any other way. There aren't any Donovan McNabbs out there this year. And who knows about next?